


Apricus

by Unfair_Verona



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt, Empathy, Eventual Smut, F/M, Headaches & Migraines, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Massage, Orgasm, Past Abuse, Reflexology, Stress Relief, Touching, chakras, new age healing, reiki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-03-27 22:38:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13890615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unfair_Verona/pseuds/Unfair_Verona
Summary: Emotionally and physically worn out, Rose Tyler is encouraged to seek help for her stress-related illness. She finds herself in the capable hands of an enigmatic healer named John, who will change her life in more ways than one.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope that you enjoy this story, the idea just came to me and I figured I'd run with it. Just a little warning, there will be some mentions of past physical and emotional abuse. It won't be graphic, but it is necessary to the story. If you have any specific questions, let me know. 
> 
> 'Apricus' is a Latin word that means ''warmed by the sun." 
> 
> Happy reading! :)

To say that it had been a difficult year for Rose Tyler would be an understatement. Her life had been completely dismantled. It all began when her mother had sat her down for an important conversation, during which she explained that Rose’s father had died. This was startling news for several reasons, the main one being that Rose had grown up not knowing who her father was. Her mother, Jackie, had never really spoken of him, and raised Rose by herself. Of course, she had always wondered, but had learned early on that asking questions was a useless endeavor. 

As she was growing up fatherless on a council Estate, raised by a loving yet harried mother who worked multiple jobs, Rose imagined that one day she would go looking for him. As it turned out, he had known about her for her entire life, but he and Jackie had come to an agreement that involved him staying away. Pete Tyler, Rose learned, was the CEO of Vitex, Inc, one of the most successful companies in all of Britain. And he had recently passed away in an auto accident, leaving the company to his only child. 

Shocked didn’t begin to cover how Rose felt upon hearing all of this. She was utterly blindsided, first by the fact that her father had known about her, and then that her mother never thought to tell her. 

“I did what I thought was best,” Jackie told her, tearfully squeezing her hand. “I was never going to fit in with his world, those people wouldn’t accept me. And we didn’t need his charity, either, we did just fine on our own.”

“What if he wanted to reach out, to know me…to have a relationship?”

Jackie shook her head. “He didn’t, sweetheart. He had chances—”

“But you told him not to!” Rose was crying now. It was the sort of uncontrollable ugly weeping that she hated, the kind that left her red-faced and full of snot.

“He had his career, it was the most important thing to him. He said that more than once. A child wasn’t something that he was ready for. In the end, we came to a decision. I do think, though, that him leaving you the company was his way of making penance, finally acknowledging you.”

 

But Rose didn’t want a company, she wanted a father. She had no business experience or even any real higher education. She worked in a _shop_ , for heaven’s sake. 

Regardless, fate seemed to have other plans, and her life switched gears abruptly; she spent hours in meetings with solicitors who explained the details of the will to her. She had inherited her father’s position as CEO, but the shareholders and the Board of Directors still retained much of the control, and they weren’t too pleased about an illegitimate daughter being placed at the helm of the company. Rose attended many uncomfortable Board meetings, during which she explained that she wasn’t going to suddenly change anything, she really had no idea how to be a CEO—but she wanted to try.

At first, they grudgingly humored her, and she knew that they said some unkind things behind her back, but after a few months Rose found herself developing a knack for the job. So much so that she was having ideas and opinions of her own, and not everyone on the Board was pleased, in particular Harold Saxon, who had apparently been eyeing her position and was the most outspoken challenger of her father’s will. 

Rose’s personal life had also suffered with all of the changes. She had been dating a bloke named Jimmy Stone for two years. It was a tumultuous and emotionally draining relationship. Jimmy was a possessive, controlling drunk, and he had hated when she started working at Vitex. He became even more verbally abusive, calling her an uppity bitch and accusing her of thinking that she was now better than him. The final straw had come when he’d drunkenly hit her one night. Something inside of Rose had snapped, and she’d walked out the door, swearing to Jimmy that she’d kill him if he ever came near her again. 

She now lived in a loft provided by the company; it was a property that her father had owned and was now hers. It was a beautiful space, with high ceilings and large windows that sent light spilling across the wooden floors. Why she hadn’t moved in sooner was beyond her; she supposed it was her pride, she didn’t want to be accepting handouts. But it was a home of her own, a safe place away from Jimmy. Rose had gotten a restraining order against him, and the building had its own security personnel. 

Oh, but it had been so _horrible_ showing up in the boardroom with a bruise blooming around her eye, the way everyone had looked at her. She could _feel_ the unspoken judgements. _Common. Damaged goods. A joke_. Rose had used her anger to further her drive to do her best, and this eventually earned the respect of her employees, who generally seemed to be warming up to her even if the Board wasn’t. 

The stress of all this upheaval had taken its toll on Rose’s health. She suffered from chronic headaches, stomach pains, and insomnia, not to mention the ever-present anxiety that clawed at her insides. Her muscles were so tense that she felt like they might snap like rubber bands. She’d taken to guzzling an obscene amount of coffee just to have some energy, to not appear weak.

The one bright spot in Rose’s world was her assistant, Donna Noble. A no-nonsense spitfire with flaming red hair and an attitude to match, she had been a constant support, encouraging Rose to follow her instincts and not be intimidated by “those tossers.”

Rose valued Donna’s opinions, (she had many, and voiced them loudly and often) so she listened when one particular morning, the redhead paused after going over the itinerary for the day, watching her gulp down her second large coffee. “Still having those headaches?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rose nodded. They had, in fact, grown worse and more frequent. 

Donna sighed. “May I be honest with you?”

“Are you ever _not_?” Chuckling, Rose brought the cup to her lips again, but Donna reached over and pulled it from her hands. 

“I think that you need to start taking better care of yourself,” she stated matter of factly. “You can’t run a company if you’re ill.”

Rose rubbed her temples. She knew that Donna was correct, but she hadn’t any idea where to even begin at fixing the problem. Everything was so tangled together, her physical and emotional well-being deeply enmeshed with her sudden new career. “What do you suggest?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Donna spoke brightly. “I know just the thing. My friend John works at the Wellness Center. He’s amazing.”

“The Wellness Center?” Rose’s face scrunched up. “That New Agey place?”

Donna rolled her eyes. “Be open-minded, Rose. John works wonders, he’ll have you good as new in no time at all. People call him ‘The Doctor.’ ”

After considering it for a moment, Rose decided that it couldn’t hurt to try. Anything was better than her current situation, soon she wasn’t going to have a stomach lining left if she kept up with the coffee and paracetamol the way she was. 

“I suppose I could try it,” she ventured. 

“Wonderful!” the redhead clapped her hands. “I’ll make you an appointment.”

 

***

Three days later, Rose walked through the doors of Gallifrey Wellness Center not really sure what to expect. The reception area was painted a cool powder blue, and the lighting was soft and had a warm, almost pinkish hue. There were fountains inlaid in the walls, the water rushing and bubbling. The air smelled faintly of lavender and cedarwood. It was instantly calming. 

Rose approached the front desk, and a pretty, dark-skinned young woman smiled at her in greeting. “Hello. You must be Rose Tyler.”

She nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Wonderful to meet you, Rose. I’m Martha.” The woman stood and came around the desk. “If you’ll just follow me,” she said. She led Rose down a dimly lit hallway with yet more fountains.

“This is your first time here, right?” she asked as they walked. 

“Yes,” Rose confirmed.

Martha smiled again as they reached a door. “Well, don’t be nervous, we’ll take good care of you.” She opened it to reveal a spacious room, which had those same calming blue walls. Himalayan salt lamps cast a soft peach glow along them. A statue of a meditating Buddha rested in the corner. Rose stepped inside. The lavender scent was less prominent here, replaced by something more mysterious, like incense. 

“You can put your clothes and shoes here,” said Martha, gesturing to a series of small shelves along the wall by the door. Then she grabbed a fluffy cotton robe off of a hook and handed it to Rose, “and put this on. John will be with you in a few minutes.”

Rose gave a polite nod. “Ok. Thank you.”

Martha departed, and with slightly shaking hands, Rose removed her clothes and put the robe on, wondering what she was so nervous about. This place seemed remarkably tranquil, but her stomach was still in knots. Taking a seat on the large massage table in the middle of the room, she studied some of the posters on the wall as she waited. There were interesting charts of acupuncture meridians and also a diagram of the human energy field, something that Rose didn’t even know existed. She was intrigued by all the varying colors that flowed outward in layers, wondering if she was surrounded by such a thing all the time without realizing it, when there was a knock at the door. 

“Come in,” she called softly. 

The door opened and a man stepped into the room. Rose’s stomach did a weird little flip when she saw him. He was tall and lean, with striking dark eyes and a head full of brown hair that stuck up at unruly and attractive angles. He wore white pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong forearms and long-fingered hands. There was a tattoo on his wrist, she noticed, featuring an interlocking design that reminded her of clock gears. He smiled at her, and her stomach flipped again. _Butterflies_ , she recognized the sensation. It had been a long time since she’d felt those. That smile sent an instant pulse of warmth over her.

“Rose Tyler,” he said, and the way her name rolled off his tongue made her cheeks flush. _What was wrong with her?_ As if she’d never seen an attractive man before.

“Yeah, that’s me,” she said, giving an awkward little laugh.

“I’m John. I’m going to be your healer.” He moved closer until he was standing in front of her, and Rose could see the faint scattering of freckles across his face. “Do you know what it is that we do here?” he asked.

“Honestly, no,” she admitted. “My assistant recommended you.”

John nodded. “Here at the Center, we use a mix of therapies to meet your specific needs. Massage, reflexology, and energy healing are what I specialize in.”

“Ok.” Rose knew about massage, obviously, but she wasn’t sure about the other two.

“I want you to feel comfortable at all times,” he continued, “so if you experience anything you don’t like, please tell me.”

His eyes were so deep and dark, they seemed to be looking right into her, not in a creepy way, but like he was…scanning her. Rose felt that she couldn’t look away, which was strange because normally she was made uneasy by prolonged eye contact. There was a warmth that emanated from John that made her trust him instantly. 

This connection lasted for a long moment, and then he blinked and released her. “You can lie down, now. If you like, you can keep the robe on, or take it off, it’s up to you. I’ll be back in just a moment.”

It was customary to be mostly naked when getting a massage, yeah? Rose had never gotten one before, so she was mainly going off of what she’d seen on TV. It was all professional. So, she removed the robe and lay flat on her stomach, pulling the white sheet up over her lower half. She kept her knickers on, not ready to get that exposed. Another knock came at the door.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she answered, and John walked in again. Rose’s forehead was pressed against the cushioned headrest, but she could feel him move around the room and then come to stand beside the table where she lay. 

His hands were so warm when they first touched her, gently resting on her shoulders. He began to stroke her skin in light motions, almost like he was testing, learning her. Then his fingers pressed against a spot on her shoulder—a sensitive, knotted place—and Rose twitched. The pressure increased, and there came a brief pinching sensation, then a flood of heat as she felt tension ebb away and release. He did the same to a spot at the base of her neck that had always ached in tandem along with her head. John kept his fingers there, and she could feel her muscles unknotting themselves. 

Rose was beginning to grow languid under his touch, warmth blissfully spreading all over her body, circulating through her blood. John moved lower, his hand now coming to pause over the small of her back. And then something unusual happened. Heat instantly bloomed in the center of her body. She felt a rush of energy and emotion. The sadness and fear of the past year bubbled to the surface, until tears nearly came to her eyes. Afterward, there was calm. The sorrow ebbed and was replaced with a soft but powerful feeling of peace and comfort, like her spirit was being cradled in loving arms. 

John’s hands drifted down a bit further, to the place just above her buttocks, and moved in a slow, circular motion. A bright blood-orange color pulsed behind Rose’s closed eyes, and she felt another whirl of energy begin to build. At first, it was hard to identify, but as it radiated outward, moving along her spine like a circuit, she became aware that she was getting aroused. There was a tightness in her breasts and she could feel her nipples harden against the sheet. A throb built between her legs. But, Rose realized, it wasn’t just a sexual arousal, it was more than that. It was a charged rush of bliss, of being opened and filled, having golden light pulsing into her, sliding into the dark corners where she kept all her doubts, her feelings of inadequacy, all the verbal abuse that she’d internalized over the years. All of the cells in her body were waking and singing.

The heat continued to rise and flow, the throb between her legs increased and she was breathing faster, trying to keep from being overwhelmed. John applied pressure to a spot near the base of her spine, and then Rose came apart. It happened quickly but paradoxically also seemed to last for hours; white light shot though all her nerve endings, and wave after wave of ecstasy shook her. She gasped as her body spasmed with what she realized was a very intense orgasm. 

Rose knew that she should be mortified. _How had that happened?_ There had been nothing sexual about what he was doing to her, why had she responded like that? When the aftershocks finally faded, she realized that she was too sleepy to feel embarrassed. She breathed softly, noticed that there were tears on her face.

“Rose?” said John. She lifted up her head, and he moved to the front of the table, kneeling down so that he was eye level with her. Any nervousness that still remained dissipated immediately when Rose saw the look on his face—no judgement whatsoever, only a kind of empathy that made her heart ache. Nobody had ever looked at her like that before. He saw _her_. Not the girl from the Estate, or the Vitex CEO, not the Rose that her mother knew, or Jimmy, or the Board of Directors—no, she swore that John could see her true self, the core essence of her being.

“You did beautifully,” he said.

 

***

 

Rose left the Wellness Center in a daze, on shaky legs. Martha had called for a car to take her home, and she’d immediately tumbled into bed, though it was barely evening. John had told her to relax and drink lots of water, warning her that she might experience some side effects of the treatment, and that it was important for her to be gentle with herself. After a few hours of sleep, she woke and it was dark out. Rose blinked, watching the shadows move across the floor, hearing the faint sounds of traffic outside. She felt disjointed and dizzy, pulled the duvet up around herself to ward off the sudden chill that had come out of nowhere. Then, it started. Brutal waves of emotion and memory overtook her, pulled up from every corner of her soul where she’d tried to bury them, hurts she didn’t even know she carried. The agony of feeling alone, not good enough, like she was nothing, just a bastard child playing at a job she hadn’t earned. All of Jimmy’s insults—she was dumb, clumsy, uneducated, would never be good for anything. _Whore. Slag_. All the other names. Rose cried so hard that her ribs ached, cried until she had to drag herself into the bathroom and vomit. It felt like bile and tar were being slowly pulled from her insides. She let it all move through her, sobbing until she was nearly strangled. Then the storm passed and the pain slowly faded. Beyond exhausted, Rose staggered back to bed. Reaching for the bottle of water on her night table, she drank like a woman who’d been wandering in the desert. Then she dropped off into the deepest sleep she’d had in over a year.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! Thank you all so much for the kudos and comments! I'm so glad that you are liking the story so far; here is another chapter for you, it's a little bit shorter, but I promise that the next one will be more substantial. ;) Let me know what you think!

Rose’s stomach was once again full of butterflies as she lay on the table in the dimly lit room at the Wellness Center, awaiting her second session with John. She had no idea what he had actually done to her—but it had worked. After the intense emotional hurricane that had occurred, she’d woken with more energy than she’d felt in years. She felt lighter, _cleaner_ , almost as if poison had been drained out of her. The headaches had eased up; though they still occurred, they were becoming less frequent and the sharpness of pain had dulled considerably. She was developing an appetite again, and was no longer drinking a pot of coffee just to get through the day.

There was something else, too. Her sex drive had increased exponentially. It was something that she honestly hadn’t given too much thought to; sex with Jimmy had been utterly joyless, especially towards the end of their relationship. During those times, Rose found herself detaching almost completely from the experience, letting her body lie there and go through the motions while her mind and spirit were elsewhere. And then she’d been so busy at work that she simply hadn’t had the time to feel romantically inclined towards anyone. 

Now, it was as if something had woken in her, something powerful. It sent periodic rushes of heat through her body, tingling in her skin. Her breasts had grown more sensitive and the little ache between her legs became more frequent. It was as though she was being reminded that she had a body with wants and needs, not just a vehicle for transporting her around. The previous night, she’d done something that she hadn’t in over a year, sneaking a hand down to stroke herself, until her moans were echoing off of the walls of her room. And as she touched herself, the only thing that Rose could picture was John, his fingers and eyes and the way he looked at her. Surely it was improper to think that way about her healer, she reasoned, he was a professional who was trying to help her, not an object for her fantasies. Still, his was the face that she saw behind her closed eyes, in her moments of climax.

 

“Hello again, Rose Tyler,” came John’s voice as he entered the room, shaking her out of her reverie and back to the present moment. 

“Hello, John,” Rose replied shyly. She had decided that before they began, she should try to get some answers. So she sat up on the table, careful to gather the sheet around herself. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” he said, waiting patiently for her to begin.

“Well, I just…see, I don’t know about how all this stuff works. I mean, s’great, _really_ great. My head’s better, I can sleep again, but it’s very intense, you know, I’m feeling all kinds of emotions and…other things. Is that normal?” She blinked up at him, hoping that she didn’t sound like a babbling idiot.

John’s smile chased away her anxiety almost immediately. “Yes, Rose, it’s very normal. Here, we take a more holistic approach to healing. The mind, body, and spirit are all one, not separate,” he explained. “We store emotion in our bodies, they have very long memories, remembering every hurt, every slight. The more emotional pain we internalize, the more our bodies suffer. Our energies become blocked and sickness sets in—not just physical illness, but mental and spiritual maladies as well.” He leaned forward, rested a hand ever so lightly on Rose’s shoulder. “My job as a healer is to try and remove the blocks from your energy, so that it can flow unimpeded.” His other hand moved in a sweeping motion up and down to illustrate this. “To restore balance.”

After pausing for a moment, John then added, “You have a lot of blocks in your energy field. I’ve been working them loose, but there’s still much healing to be done. If you’ll let me.”

Rose nodded. What he was saying made sense, even if she still didn’t know how he did what he did. It worked, that was what mattered. This man genuinely wanted to help her, it seemed, and he had given her hope. “Of course,” she said. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said, voice awash with sincerity. “Are you ready?”

 

The energy began to flow again the second he put his hands on her, heat seeping from his fingertips and into her skin. This time, it collected in the middle of her back, up to her shoulder blades. Rose felt a slight pang of resistance, but the steady pressure of his touch soothed the discomfort with a slow but insistent hum as she felt something shift. Her heart skipped and fluttered in her chest, pounding quickly. This was followed by a dull, pulsing ache. Green light blazed behind her eyes, and then Rose saw an image of herself standing in the kitchen at Jimmy’s apartment, him red-faced, drunk, and screaming at her. She remembered this particular night; he’d come home from the pub in a foul mood, had been so angry that he’d broken several dishes, shattering them on the floor inches from where she’d been standing. Then he’d gripped her by the arm, hard, and glared at her with eyes that had gone cold and dead, like the eyes of a shark. She’d been too frightened to even breathe, but then he had released her with a shove and stalked away, leaving her to clean up the mess. 

The fear, anger and helplessness of the moment came storming back, trampling Rose. It was almost as if she were re-living it all over again, with garish clarity. The ache in her chest increased until she could barely breathe, like all the air was being squeezed from her, she was crushed under the weight of it all, buried alive. Then, when she was about to say something, sure that she could take no more, it stopped. Jimmy vanished from her mind, the pain lifted, and there again came that peace. A feeling of belonging cloaked her, like a blanket, and she was soothed. She wasn’t alone. Her body drank in the healing energy from John’s hands. _Like a forest fire_ , she thought suddenly. Burning away everything gnarled and dead to make room for something new and alive.

John made a sweeping motion up and down her spine with his hand, and Rose remembered what he’d said about the flow of energy. Once again, she felt that arousal stirring. It invigorated her, like electric colored light climbing the circuitry of her body. How, _how_ was he doing that? It was like magic.

“You’re _wonderful_ ,” she whispered.

“You are,” John replied, and Rose felt another wave of heat course into her. It pulsed right to her core, and she couldn’t help but arch her body against his hand.

“Breathe, Rose,” he instructed softly. “Breathe into it, slowly, or you’ll become overwhelmed.”

She did, focusing on the feeling of each inhale and exhale, the rising and falling of her chest, until nearly every square inch of her skin was charged and tingling. The bliss came in slow rushes this time, Rose felt her limbs tremble and quiver, and she knew that John could feel it, too. When it stopped, she realized that she was once again incredibly damp between the legs. 

Rose lifted her head and turned over halfway to look at John, and she noticed that his eyes were darker than usual, the pupils blown wide, and he was breathing hard. He looked _beautiful_ , so much so that her own breath caught in her throat. 

“Was that a block in my energy?” she asked him. “That sort of…pain in my heart?”

He nodded. “Yes. It was a pretty nasty one.”

“Could you see it?” She was still intrigued by his ability, wanted to understand how he was bringing her back to life in such a way.

“Weeelll, it’s not like physically seeing, with my eyes,” John explained. “It’s hard to describe. I can sense the places in you that need healing, and I get visual impressions of them inside my mind. They might appear as a dark cloud, or sludge, or a hook. I can feel where the pain is. And you’ve had a lot of pain, Rose. I’m sorry.” The look on his face wasn’t pity, rather, it was empathy. Understanding.

“You’ve got scars on your heart, not physical ones that can be seen with any sort of medical technology, but psychic ones. They’re in your subtle body, the energetic layer that surrounds you. Some are old, and in quite deep, and some are more new, closer to the surface. But you’re strong,” he said, resting fingertips very lightly against the side of her face. “And your energy, your life force…it’s beautiful.”

Rose blushed, feeling disarmed by the unexpected compliment, by the depth in his eyes as he looked at her with such adoration. “Bet you say that to all the girls,” she joked.

“I really don’t,” John murmured softly. He slid a strand of her blonde hair through his fingertips and then tucked it behind her ear, the simple motion both sweet and utterly sensual.

Figuring that this might be as good a time as any, Rose began, “Um, there’s one other thing I’ve gotta ask about.”

“Yes?”

“Is it…” she twisted the sheet in her hands a little. “Is it normal to feel…turned on by this? By this sort of treatment, I mean,” she clarified.

The Adam’s apple in John’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. He ran a hand through his hair, and her eyes followed the movement. Rose instantly imagined how his hair would feel between _her_ fingers. 

“No, it’s not uncommon,” he finally answered. “These treatments stimulate the different energy centers in your body. There’s seven of them, they’re commonly referred to as ‘chakras.’ You had a pretty significant block in the chakra that governs sexuality, reproduction, that sort of thing. Now it’s gone, so…it’s natural to be feeling aroused. Sexual energy is life energy. It’s a sign that you’re getting healthier.”

“Oh, ok.” Rose laughed, feeling relieved. “I didn’t want you thinking I was a freak, or somethin’.” 

“I could never think that,” John said firmly, resting a hand on her arm. Heat instantly followed the touch, warming her skin. She wondered if he always ran so hot. “And these feelings, they’re probably going to increase for awhile, while you’re healing,” he further explained. “Just so that you’re prepared. The best thing to do is accept it and allow it to happen. Trying to suppress the energy will only create more blocks and set you back, ok?”

“Alright,” answered Rose, trying to wrap her mind around all of this new information. He was describing an entirely new way of thinking about her body and her health, much different from any that she’d known growing up, and it was going to take some time for her to understand it all. It was a lot to believe in, all of a sudden. But she was also becoming quite certain of one thing: she believed in _John_ , and that was what mattered.

“I’ll see you next week,” he told her. His hand fell away from her skin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so very sorry about the lack of updates on this story, I've been dealing with some personal crap lately. Thankfully, things seem to be getting calmer now so I can post more regularly. Here is the next chapter for you, please let me know what you think! :)

It was Friday. It had been two days since Rose had her last session with John, and she was already going through withdrawal. He left light inside of her body, flowing beneath her skin, and this light changed and sustained her, circulating through her blood. But she still missed him. The feeling of safety that she felt whenever she was under his hands, the sense of being cared for. Adored, even. But that was so silly, she reasoned, as she stood in the small kitchen at the office, fixing herself a cup of tea. John was her healer, she was a client, and he probably was just like that by nature, as a way to put people at lease. It was his job. Still, her heart picked up pace, and her stomach filled up with swarms of gentle butterflies every time she pictured his face, those deep, intense eyes fixed solely on her, the way he said her name.

Rose sighed and shook her head, adding some sugar to her tea. She was doing well with cutting back on the coffee, even Donna had said so. At that moment, as if conjured, the redhead stepped into the kitchen with a large folder in her hands. 

“Ah, there you are,” she said to Rose. “I’ve made copies of that proposal for the meeting. And I must say, I think you have a great idea here.”

Yes, the meeting. Upon its mention, Rose felt the old twist and bite of nervous tension weave its way into her limbs. Today she would be giving a proposal to the Board; she had been consulting with several different suppliers and nutritionists about changing some of the ingredients in Vitex’s energy drinks. There had been, she learned, a bit of chatter on the internet from people claiming to suffer adverse reactions from drinking their products. Thankfully, nobody had become seriously ill, and there were no threats of any sort of legal action, but it had been enough to give Rose pause. After doing some research, she’d learned that for something marketed as a nutritional beverage, their energy drinks supplied very little in the way of nutrition, just a lot of caffeine, sugar, and several other ingredients that she couldn’t even pronounce, but had been known to cause unfortunate reactions in lab mice. She’d done some projections, and for only a minimal cost increase, those ingredients could be swapped out for something far more natural. The only trouble was, Rose couldn’t be sure how the Board would respond to this.

“Are you alright?” asked Donna. “You’ve gone a little pale.”

Rose shook her head. “Course. I’m fine. Just…” she took a sip of her tea. “You know I hate these things.”

Donna nodded sympathetically. “I know. But they can’t ignore the work you’ve done,” she said, tapping at the folder. “This is good stuff, Rose, it shows that you really care.”

Rose managed a smile. “Thanks, Donna.” She looked at the clock. “Well, I’d better be getting in there.”

The redhead handed her the folder. “Give them hell. Oh, and by the way, I’m having a little get-together at my flat tonight, it’s my first time having people over since I’ve moved in. Nothing fancy, just some drinks—but I’d love for you to come.”

“That sounds fun,” Rose said honestly, “and Lord knows I might need a drink after this meeting.”

 

As it turned out, she was correct in that assessment. She did need a drink, several in fact. The meeting had not gone well, in fact it had gone worse than she’d expected. Rose was barely halfway through outlining her proposal when she’d been shut down by Harold Saxon and several other members. They claimed that there was nothing wrong with the current recipe, and that altering it would lose them customers.

“People drink our products because they like the taste, and the rush it gives them. Sales are continuing to be steady, why change what clearly works?” Harold spoke with barely concealed condescension.

“But,” she’d protested, “there have been reports…”

He’d waved a hand dismissively. “Those are ramblings on message boards, hardly _reports_. There’s never been any kind of direct link between our products and any health concern. If people don’t like it, they don’t have to drink it, but for the people who do, why would be want to change the beverage that they’ve come to love and depend on?”

Saxon’s expression had been borderline gleeful, mocking, as he effectively cut the legs from under her. Then he slid the proposal to the side and added snidely, “But thank you, Rose, for, ah, _enlightening_ us. Now, lets move along to…”

Rose had all but shut down after that, fury and embarrassment forcing her into silence as the hour dragged on, her face burning. Fortunately, it was the last meeting of the day, and she could leave right after. She couldn’t wait to get out of the building. Once they were adjourned she barely looked at anyone, just mumbled “Have a nice weekend,” and walked out of the room.

A headache was brewing in her temples. A pretty wicked one, the likes of which she hadn’t felt since before going to see John. She stalked to the machine at the end of the hall and pressed a button, then watched sullenly as the dark liquid filled the paper cup. 

“That bad, huh?” came Donna’s voice from beside her.

“Worse,” mumbled Rose, snatching up the cup and turning to face her assistant. “Saxon barely let me talk, just torpedoed my proposal after less than a minute.”

Donna put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. “Hey, look at me. You. Did. Great. You just have to keep trying, don’t let him run roughshod over you. You, Rose Tyler, are the CEO of this company. He is a smarmy little weasel with a tiny penis.”

Rose did laugh at that. “Donna!”

“Well, I’ve heard.”

Soon they were both laughing. Donna wrote something on her planner, then tore of the piece of paper and handed it to Rose. “My address. Come round about seven, we’ll have some fun and you can forget all about it.” She pulled the coffee cup out of her hands. “Also, I’ll be taking this.”

Upon hearing Rose’s noise of protest, she said, “No, you’ve been doing so well, I’m not going to let you sabotage yourself.”

“Fine,” Rose relented with a small pout.

“Chin up. See you in a bit.”

 

Getting out of the office definitely helped, and Rose’s headache had improved a bit by the time she got home. She’d tried her best to just take some deep breaths and release the tension. As she climbed into the shower she let the hot water sluice over her skin and ease some of the knots in her neck from where she’d been tensing her jaw. She wished like hell that she didn’t have to wait nearly a week before seeing John again. It would be lovely to just talk to him, she realized, to tell him about her day. Rose wondered how her energy centers were functioning, and even gave a quick glance down at her naked body, despite how ridiculous that seemed. They were invisible. Well, to her at least, maybe not to John. 

Rose quickly finished washing her hair and then turned off the water before that train of thought could go any further. She still tended to get a bit heated when thinking about him, and there wasn’t really time for any of that business right now, thank you very much; she needed to get dressed and pick up a bottle of wine before heading over to Donna’s.

 

Just a little over an hour later, Rose found herself knocking on a door, a bottle of red wine in hand. It had been awhile since she’d done anything social outside of work. Or had friends, really. All of her old mates had drifted away, they were simply at a different place in their lives, a place that didn’t include corporate CEOs. 

A few moments later the door swung open to reveal a smiling Donna, wearing black pants and a stylish purple shirt. Her red hair was loose around her shoulders like a fiery curtain. 

“Rose, get in here, you,” she said, motioning her inside, taking the bottle of wine from her. “You shouldn’t have. Well, actually, you should,” she amended, “with this lot. I made sangria but I fear it’ll be gone the next time I turn around—yes, I’m looking at you, Amelia Pond.” She rolled her eyes at a lovely young woman with another head of glorious red hair, who was pouring some of the fruity concoction into a large glass.

“Rose, this is my Scottish cousin, Amy,” she said, gesturing to Amelia, who smiled and took a sip of her drink, “and her fiancé, Rory.” Donna pointed to a nice-looking chap with a prominent nose. “Rory is a nurse and Amy is a Kiss-O-Gram.”

Amy puckered her lips and made a smacking sound. “Just until I get married and finish my book,” she assured them. 

“Oh, you’re writing a book?” asked Rose. Amy nodded and popped a square of cheese into her mouth. “Yeah, nothin’ fancy, just a children’s book.”

Rose was intrigued, she’d never known an author before. “What’s it about?” she asked.

“About a little girl whose imaginary friend turns out to be real,” chimed in Rory. “He’s this absolute madman with a bow tie, and he takes her off on all these adventures.”

“That sounds adorable,” said Rose. “I’d love to read it when you’re finished.”

Amy’s hazel eyes sparkled. “Well, it’s hardly _Harry Potter_ , but I’m proud of it. Still needs a bit of polish, though. I love your dress,” she added, gesturing to Rose’s navy blue dress with the flared skirt. It was one of her favorites, casual yet elegant, and she’d been told it flattered her figure.

“Thank you.”

A glass of sangria was pressed into Rose’s hand by Donna, who steered her through the flat towards the kitchen. It was a very nice space, with chic décor and bold, colorful prints on the walls, and seemed to suit Donna’s personality. 

“That’s Clara,” she said, pointing to a tiny, dark-haired girl in a polka-dotted dress, who was holding a tray of something delicious-looking wrapped in phylo dough. “She’s a pastry chef. It’s hell on my waistline, let me tell you. Oh, and—” She pushed the open the kitchen door and then stopped and put her hands on her hips. 

“Oi, Spaceman,” she called, “quit hogging all the crisps!”

Rose, following behind, got a look at ‘Spaceman,’ and her heart nearly stopped. There, in Donna’s kitchen, holding a large bowl of crisps and looking rather sheepish, was John.

He was absolutely gorgeous, dressed in a casual brown pinstripe suit, his marvelous hair seeming even more gravity-defying than usual. “Donna, I’ll have you know…” he began, then trailed off when he saw Rose. At first his expression was one of surprise, but then a big, sunny grin spread across his face. “Rose Tyler! Brilliant!”

Any residual bad feelings that Rose had been carrying evaporated instantly, and a warm glow suffused every inch of her body.

Donna grinned knowingly but said nothing. John set down the bowl. He was still smiling; beaming, actually. “How are you?” he asked, moving closer. 

“Better now,” Rose admitted, taking a sip of sangria. John was now studying her with that familiar intensity, scanning her. The smile slid slowly from his face. “Hmmm, did something happen today?” he asked.

“Oh,” Rose waved a hand in the air. “It was nothin’, just a hard day at work.”

“Hmmm,” he said again. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of the stereo being turned on in the next room and Donna shouting, “All right, time to dance!”

Rose shrugged and headed back out into the living room, John following close behind her. She took a seat on the sofa and watched as the others began to groove to the music. Amy was by far the best dancer, but Clara was a close second. 

“Why don’t you get out there?” John suggested with a gleam in his eye as he sat down next to her.

“Nah, not tonight,” she replied. Though she was feeling better, she still wasn’t quite in the mood to dance, she hadn’t had enough sangria for that. “What about you?” she asked him. “Do you dance?”

“I’ve been known to, on occasion,” he replied, and Rose found herself once again becoming mesmerized by his freckles and eyelashes. She had a sudden image of herself in his arms, moving to the music. It was a nice thought, one that seemed to reach out and thread comforting fingers through her hair. She wanted to scoot even closer to John, to lean against him and let all of the bitter tension of the day drain away. “But I think I’m comfortable where I am,” he added.

“You two are boooring,” announced Donna, dancing over to them. She was carrying a glass containing some other fruity concoction, which she handed to John, whose eyes lit up.

“Banana daiquiri! You’re wonderful, Donna.”

“And don’t you forget it,” she called, shimmying away.

“She _is_ wonderful,” Rose admitted. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

“Yeah, we’ve been mates for a long time, grew up together, actually. Her family was always very good to me.” John paused to take a sip of his drink. “And family is…important. No matter if they’re blood or not, just having people that you can trust and count on…that makes all the difference.” He spoke a bit wistfully, and the shade of his eyes changed as a somber-ness crept across the edges of his voice, making Rose wonder.

Across the room, Rory spun Amy and she fell against him, laughing. Clara and Donna were in a weird kind of dance-off. Rose found herself warmed by the scene, it was so nice to be out among people, genuinely kind people. Even if she did feel just a bit like an outsider, it was pleasant to watch them, to be part of it, even as an observer. 

“Can I get you a refill?” John asked, gesturing to Rose’s near-empty glass. 

“Oh, yes, thank you,” she said, passing it to him. The drink was delicious, and was helping her to relax. When he returned, he said, “Come outside with me, it’s a beautiful night.” She followed him out, through the kitchen to a sliding door that opened onto a spacious patio with two chairs and an assortment of potted plants. 

“Mmm, you’re right, it’s lovely out here,” Rose remarked as the balmy air slipped over her skin. John handed back her glass and as he did so their fingers brushed. A small pulse of electricity passed between them. 

“So, Rose Tyler,” he began, as they settled themselves in the chairs, “tell me about what happened today.”

She was hesitant about bombarding him with her personal troubles on a night that was supposed to be fun, but John seemed to genuinely want to hear about it. And hadn’t she been thinking just a few hours earlier how much she wished she could simply talk to him? The universe, it seemed, had heard her and granted her wish, so it would be silly not to tell him. “Oh, just…I had this meeting and I tried to present a proposal. It didn’t go over very well, they didn’t seem to think it mattered.”

“They?” he wondered. 

“The Board of Directors. Especially Harold-bloody-Saxon,” she grumbled, taking a huge sip of sangria, as merely saying the name had given her a bad taste in her mouth. 

John frowned—really frowned, Rose noticed, his mouth dipping sharply, his eyes narrowing. “You, ah, you work with Harold Saxon?”

“Unfortunately,” she said, making a face. “Why, do you know him?”

“I—I’ve heard about him,” John replied a little hurriedly, and for the first time, Rose suspected that he wasn’t telling the truth. His fingers had tightened around his glass, she noticed. 

“Yeah, well, he hates me. Always has. He wanted my job, was furious when I was named as CEO. He thinks I’m a joke.”

“You’re not a joke, Rose,” John said very firmly, taking one of her hands and giving it a squeeze. “You’re smart. And brave. Donna’s told me a little about you, how hard you work, how much you care. Your employees love you.”

Rose blushed furiously. “Thanks,” she whispered, ducking her head a little.

“I mean it,” he went on, rubbing his thumb gently across her fingers. “I won’t stand for anyone making you feel unworthy. I know that people have hurt you in the past. But this is a new chapter in your life, a healthy chapter. Tell me honestly, how have you been feeling?”

His words made a lovely heat bloom inside of Rose’s stomach. It had been so long since she'd been told such things by a man, been spoken to with such genuine kindness. “Much better," she answered. "Until today, that is. My headaches eased up, I’ve been sleeping well, I’m calmer in general.”

John nodded. “You’re looking better. I mean, your energy seems to be flowing more easily.”

“Well, I have you to thank for that,” she said. The sangria had loosened her inhibitions, so she went on, “Honestly, today I was thinking that I couldn’t wait to see you again. And here you are, like magic.”

“I’m glad I can help you, Rose. It’s an honor.” John moved even closer to her, she could smell him, heat and cologne and something else that was hard to place, like incense and old books. He raised a hand and brushed his fingertips gently against the side of her face. Rose felt delightfully hazy, cradled by the evening, by John. Tendrils of light seemed to weave softly between their bodies, passing some energy back and forth, almost like a kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here is the next chapter for you! Thank you so much for all of your support, all the kudos and comments and love that I've received for this story, it makes me so happy! The Doctor Who fandom has been so welcoming, you all are wonderful! :)

Rose stood in front of the mirror, contemplating what to do with her hair. Those pesky butterflies swarmed in her stomach again as she glanced at the clock. In a few minutes she would be meeting John. He had invited her to come to the “Mind, Body, Spirit” festival that was being held at the local park. He was working, representing the Wellness Center, but assured her that he would try to sneak away as soon as he could. He’d invited her the previous evening, at Donna’s, while they were talking out on the balcony. They’d had such a lovely time, getting lost in conversation until hours had passed and nearly everyone else had gone home. There had been a moment, Rose reflected, when she was sure that they were about to kiss, but hadn’t. John was a gentleman. _Or perhaps he's not that into you_ , whispered some evil part of her mind. 

No, there was definitely something there, Rose knew, though the exact nature was hard to define. Hopefully it would become clearer with time. And he had seemed very happy when she’d accepted his invitation, his eyes had lit up with that wonderful sparkle. Her cheeks warmed thinking about it. 

The weather was nice and warm, so she’d chosen a breezy floral sundress and strappy white sandals. After one last moment of deliberation, she finally decided to leave her hair loose around her shoulders. Smiling hopefully at her reflection, Rose picked up her purse and headed out.

The park was swarming with people. There were booths set up everywhere: vendors selling jewelry and crystals, bundles of sage and organic soaps and lotions, essential oils and tinctures. Signs advertised tarot card readings, massages, aura readings, and something called ‘shamanic healing’, which Rose made a note to ask John about later. Everyone seemed very happy, she realized. 

“Hello again, Rose,” came a voice to her left. She turned to see Martha sitting at a booth that was brimming with information about the Wellness Center. She waved and walked over to the smiling woman. “Hey there,” she said. 

Martha leaned forward. “John will be back in a moment, he’s just gone off on a quick errand. How have you been? The Doctor treating you well?”

Rose remembered John’s nickname, and grinned. “Yeah, I’m feeling so much better, really. You all do such a wonderful job.”

“Honestly, I have to tell you, I never used to take any of this stuff seriously,” said Martha, gesturing around. “I was enrolled in medical school actually. And then my mum got sick, real bad. None of the specialists could help her. And then on a whim, she decided to try some alternative therapies, figured it couldn’t hurt. She went to the Center, and John treated her. Within a month, she was perfectly healthy. It was like a miracle. And I started to question everything, about medicine, my career choice. I just had this overwhelming sense that there was so much more out there that was worth a second look. And so I switched my course of study, and now I’m in Holistic Medicine. Not the most conventional, and believe me I got some strange looks from my mates, but its where I feel I can do the most good.”

“I’m very happy for you,” Rose said sincerely. “And I’m glad your mum got well. I was a bit the same about all this at first, and I still have a lot to learn.”

“Well, I’m sure John will be happy to teach you.” Martha gave Rose a wink. “We’ve been mates for awhile now. I used to fancy him, actually, but he wasn’t interested.” She laughed. “I’ve no idea why I’m even telling you this, for some reason I feel I can be honest. I’m glad you found him.”

Rose was a bit startled by the woman’s sudden openness, but it made her feel comforted all the same. She started to say something, but then felt fingertips brush against her arm and turned to see John beaming at her.

“Rose! You look stunning.”

She blushed all the way to her hairline. “Thank you,” she replied. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

John was once again wearing the white garb that seemed to be his uniform for the Center, and Rose found that she quite liked him in it, the way the shirt exposed his forearms and the odd tattoo on his wrist. She was suddenly fascinated by his arm veins, something that she’d rarely noticed in men before.

“Go on, have some fun you two,” Martha spoke up. “I can cover here.”

“Martha, you’re the best,” John said. “I owe you one.” He slipped his hand into Rose’s. “Shall we?”

 

***

 

They walked together, Rose asking questions and John answering. He seemed pleased that she was taking an interest in his world, and was eager to tell her anything she wanted to know. “Some people were a little skeptical at first, when the Wellness Center moved in,” he explained as they made their way around the park. “The community wasn’t quite as open. I’d worked up in Glastonbury for awhile—talk about a New Age hub. They’re open to _everything_. Goddesses and Avalon, King Arthur, the Grail and all that. Really is a magical place.”

“Are King Arthur and Guinevere really buried out there?” Rose asked with a grin.

“Weeeell, I don’t know about that.”

“ ‘Cause they’re not real,” Rose laughed.

John gave her an expression of mock outrage. “Rose Tyler, don’t you say such a thing! Of course they’re _real_. But I don’t think they’re buried there. They’ve gone back into the mists, along with Avalon.”

“And Merlin,” added Rose.

“Good old Merlin, yes. And the dragons.”

“How could I have forgotten the dragons?” She smacked herself in the forehead and giggled.

“Someday, if you like, we can go there and you can decide for yourself," he said, hopefulness laced through the words. Rose felt a surge of happiness at the thought of having a 'someday' with John. In that moment, she was certain that she would follow him anywhere if he asked. It was a strange feeling, a breathless one, and it made her slightly dizzy.

“I’d like that very much,” she said, and squeezed his hand. Then she added, “I like…this. Just spending time with you, learnin’ about all this new stuff. It’s like a whole new world got opened up.”

He looked at her, a look filled with soft-eyed warmth. “I like this too,” he said. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It was a small, pale pink stone, polished and cut into the shape of a heart. He handed it to her. “It’s a rose quartz,” he explained. “I saw it and thought of you. It’s a very healing stone, has a nice, gentle energy, and I just…” he trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

“I love it,” Rose said, fighting back tears as she looked at the stone, felt the cool weight of it in her hand. It was a simple gesture, but it meant the world to her, and suddenly her heart felt so full that it nearly ached. 

“Would…would you like to get some dinner?” John asked, almost nervously. “I know a nice little place. They make the best banana daiquiris. Almost as good as Donna’s, but don’t tell her that.”

Even as tears were still in the corners of her eyes, Rose found herself smiling so widely that her cheeks ached. “That sounds perfect,” she said.

“Yeah?” John grinned.

“Yeah.”

“Well, alright then. Allons-y!” He pulled her along and she laughed and laughed.

 

***

 

“So, tell me more about yourself, Rose Tyler,” John prompted, cutting a piece of chicken as they sat across from each other at a table in the small, quaint restaurant that he had brought her to. 

“Ah, well, not too much to tell, really,” she began, staring down at her spinach salad with salmon. Rose had been trying to eat healthier recently, though she was dying for some proper salty, greasy chips. “I grew up in London, my mum raised me by herself.”

“That must have been difficult,” he offered sympathetically.

She shrugged. “It was. But we were ok. Um, you know, it was the usual, I went to school, had mates. And then up until about a year ago, I worked in a shop. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. But then it sort of…got decided for me.”

John nodded. “Donna told me a bit about it. She respected your father quite a lot, spoke highly of him. I think she likes you better though, honestly.”

Rose smiled. “I have no idea what I’m doing, sometimes. I’m making it up as I go along. And I try not to take things too much to heart, but even with all the not knowing, I’ve found that I really care about my work, and my people. I want to do better, you know. I just…get frustrated.”

“I know,” he said. “And all those transitions couldn’t be easy for you. But you’ve handled it all with such great strength and grace. Your father would be very proud.”

Struggling to not tear up again, Rose concentrated on taking a sip of white wine. “What about you?” she asked. “I feel like you know so much about me, but I hardly know anything about you.”

A look came over John’s face, a flash of something that Rose could swear was…loneliness, and it made him seem both older and younger at the same time. Then he blinked and it was gone. “Eh, nothing too exciting, I’m afraid. I bounced around from place to place for a bit, then settled back here. I inherited the Wellness Center from my mentor after he passed on, so we have that in common.”

“Really? But you’ve always wanted to be a healer, yeah?”

John set his fork down. “It wasn’t so much want as it was just…something that I _was_. I’ve always been a bit…different. Able to do things, see things…” He trailed off briefly, letting the thread of conversation fall before picking it up again after a moment of silence. “I apprenticed with a few different people, learning various healing methods. And then I found my way to the Center and it seemed…right. So I stayed. And here we are.” He raised his glass. “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” Rose replied, though she sensed that he was definitely holding back, that there was much more to the story, and it hadn’t been all good and this made her heart ache for him. She hoped that someday he would open up and tell her, so that she wouldn’t have to keep seeing those brief glimpses of deep sadness, so that he wouldn’t feel that he had to hide them from her.

After dinner, he walked her home to the loft, they were arm in arm and Rose felt full and overjoyed at having him so close, nearly drunk on his spirit, his scent, his very presence. They arrived at her door, and she fumbled with the key, her fingers trembling a bit. “Would you like to come inside?” she asked. John seemed to grow a little hesitant, he looked almost…conflicted, another abrupt change from his usual cheerful demeanor. 

“Um…I…”

“I didn’t mean…” Rose bit her lip worriedly. “I don’t want you to think…”

“No, no, that’s fine…I understand…and if…that is, I’d like to, but…” He took a deep breath, stared into her eyes, seeming to be struggling with something. “Oh, sod it,” he said finally, and pulled her roughly into his arms, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.


End file.
